DEMARCHE DELIVERED: URUGUAY UNDECIDED ON IAEA GS

C O N F I D E N T I A L MONTEVIDEO 000253 SIPDIS IO/T FOR MATTHEW GOLDSTEIN WHA/BSC FOR MARY DASCHBACH E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/27/2018 TAGS: AORC KNNP IAES PREL UY SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED: URUGUAY UNDECIDED ON IAEA GS CANDIDATE REF: SECSTATE 46302 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Robin Matthewman for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) ¶1. (C) On May 8, Charge delivered reftel demarche on the IAEA Director Candidacy to the MFA,s Director of Multilateral Affairs, Nury Bauzan, informing her that the USG supports the Japanese candidate, Yukiya Amano, and urges Uruguayan support as well. ¶2. (C) Bauzan replied that the GOU had strongly supported Amano in the first round of voting; they agreed that he was the strongest and most qualified candidate, and they had tried to help convince other countries as well. But now that the candidacy had moved into a new stage, the GOU felt obligated to analyze the strengths of the other candidates as well. No decision has yet been made, but Bauzan implied that the GOU believes some of the other candidates may better able to build consensus on the sensitive issues that the IAEA manages. In response to Charge's inquiry, Bauzan confirmed that the Foreign Minister is the decision maker on key candidacies of this type, possibly with consultation with the President. ¶3. (C) Bauzan noted the GOU is interested in any news we may get on who the different European members of the board ) such as Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and Ireland ) will support. She agree to remain in touch on the issue. Matthewman